The president elect says

This:

Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God’s will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.

It’s Obama!
[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQFV1paqjk[/youtube]

(Sorry)


3 Responses to “The president elect says”

  1. aharon says:

    Is this something Obama really said? A good demonstration of presenting democracy as an object, rather than a process, hence giving fuel for neo-liberals to push for wars to bring their universal values onto uninitiated people, and a misrepresentation of arguments in the abortion debate – as the religious side does actually argue that its a murder, hence a universal no-no..
    (the arguments against such a universalism is one of the real issues of democracy, an enabling and opening up process, rather than various sets and sects of restrictions..)

    I wonder if there was ever a right-wing capitalist was supported by more left-wing progressives..

  2. Neil Hoskins says:

    My hope is that he’s going to demonstrate that there can be such a thing as a christian secularist.

  3. TigerDunc says:

    Classic. I can’t imagine why they didn’t use that as a campaign song. They’d have got the metalhead and slacker vote (such as it is) for sure.